The present invention relates to a magnotherapy device for use in magnotherapy, especially but not exclusively as practised on the human body.
Magnotherapy describes the practise of placing magnets adjacent an animal or human body in order to cure a disease, alleviate symptoms or enhance performance of the animal/human.
The mechanism by which magnotherapy works is not well understood. However the fact that it works on animus as well as humans suggests that there is a physical interaction between the magnetic field and the body, and that the results are not psychosomatic. A discussion of magnotherapy can be found in the book xe2x80x9cMagnetic Health, Modern Day. Healing with Magnetsxe2x80x9d by D R Price (ISN0953679705). It is believed that the application of a magnetic field restores the efficiency of the blood stream, and that the improvement in circulation helps the body repair itself more efficiently resulting in improvements in the skin conditions, improvements in the cosmetic appearance of the skin, and improvements in conditions including cramp, angina, local aches and pains, arthritis, migraine, ME, MS and gout.
It is known that sexual dysfunction for example impotence in males, can be effected by, circulatory problems. The media attention surrounding the launch of VIAGRA. (registered trade mark) demonstrated that a large proportion of the population had interest in improving their sexual performance. A xe2x80x9cblack marketxe2x80x9d for the drug became apparent with instances of its use by those who were not clinically impotent. In the UK, the drug remains available only on prescription due to its side effects such as increased blood pressure. Furthermore the embarrassment factor of a patient having to visit his doctor in order to obtain the drug on prescription may prevent some sufferers of impotence who could exhibit a clinical improvement as a result of using the drug from failing to obtain it. IT is believed that magnotherapy can help sufferers of impotence.
The applicant has conducted confidential trials which indicate that magnotherapy also provides relief from period pains.
To date, there has been no report of side effects with the use of magnotherapy.
Magnotherapy practitioners have developed a terminology in which one pole of the magnet is described as positive and the other pole of the magnet is described as negative. This convention will be used throughout the specification, although it differs from the terminology convention used referring to magnets having north poles and south poles. The terms positive and negative as used herein are defined as follows:
For a freely moveable magnet the xe2x80x9cnegativexe2x80x9d pole is the pole which is attracted towards the geographic South Pole of the earth, and correspondingly the xe2x80x9cpositivexe2x80x9d pole is the pole attracted to the geographical North Pole.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magnotherapy product comprising a magnet having positive and negative poles, said magnet being held in a housing having magnetic attachment means for attachment to an article of clothing.
It is thus possible to provide a magnotherapy product which can be easily attached to an article of clothing worn by a user. This has the advantage that the product can be easily and discretely worn near to a region where the benefits of therapy are required.
Preferably a first side of the product is adapted, in uses to face the flesh of a wearer. Advantageously the negative pole of a magnet is arranged, in use, to face the flesh of the wearer.
The magnet may be encapsulated within a housing. The housing may protect the surface of the magnet from damage due to moisture, dust or physical contact. In an embodiment of the present invention, a magnet is enclosed between two half shells of a housing, the housing and magnet being glued together by a hot melt adhesive such that the space inside the housing is substantially filled and the magnet is totally enclosed.
In an alternative embodiment the casing may be composed of a three dimensional ease into which a magnet is placed and which is closed by a planar element. The casing may be profiled so as to indicate which side of the device should be placed facing the user""s skin.
Preferably a metallic plate is provided adjacent the positive pole of the magnet. The plate is preferably non-ferromagnetic. The plate may, for example be made of stainless steel. The plate advantageously covers the entirety of the positive pole and acts to alter the magnetic field around the positive pole so as to attenuate the magnetic field strength above and adjacent the plate. This serves to reduce the tendency of the magnet to attract magnetic material in the vicinity of the user. The presence of the plate also distorts the magnetic field in the vicinity of the negative pole such that the field strength near the negative pole is increased and consequently the field propagates further into the body of a user.
In initial confidential trials, magnotherapy devices had been provided with resilient clips in order to attach to a wearer""s clothing. However, clips necessarily need to be placed over the edge of a garment or need to gather folds of the garment within the clip in order to attach.
Preferably the attachment to a user""s clothing is performed using magnetic attachment means. The magnotherapy device exhibits a magnetic field on the side facing away from the user""s flesh. This field, even though of reduced strength, is sufficient to attract metallic element such that a user""s clothes can be clamped between the magnotherapy device and the metallic element
Preferably a further magnet is provided in a separate magnetic attachment means. The further magnet may be provided in an encapsulated form, such as in a plastic case. The further magnet is attracted to the plate. Furthermore the case of the magnotherapy device may be profiled to define a centering region such that the position of the separate attachment means when magnetically attracted to the magnotherapy device is well defined.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the magnet in the body of the magnotherapy device is the same size as the magnet in the magnetic attachment means, i.e. same diameter. Furthermore, the metallic plate is positioned against or adjacent the magnet in the attachment means on the side which, in use, faces away from the user. Thus the position of the attachment means with respect to the magnotherapy device is well defined.
It will be appreciated that other attachment methods may also be employed. Thus a surface of the housing may be provided with a plurality of hooks or a plurality of eyes thereon, for inter-engaging with a clip or a belt worn by the user. A hook and eye fastening method is commercially available under the trade mark Velcro. Thus the product may be positioned adjacent other parts of the body in order to provide local relief
As a further alternative, a clip may be provided as a resilient element having a portion which runs adjacent a surface of the housing such that an item of clothing can be engaged between the portion of the clip and the housing so as to hold the magnotherapy device attached to the item of clothing.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an undergarment having at least one engagement means for engaging a magnet so as to hold the magnet adjacent the surface of a wearers body at a predetermined position.
Advantageously the predetermined position is adjacent the femoral artery. Alternatively the predetermined position is adjacent the wearer""s genitalia. The engagement means may be a pocket.
According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of treatment of impotence, comprising placing a negative pole of a magnet adjacent a user""s flesh in the vicinity of one of the penis and the femoral artery.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of cosmetic treatment of the appearance of the penis when erect, the method comprising the placement of a negative pole of a magnet adjacent the user""s flesh in the vicinity of one of the penis and the femoral artery in order that improved blood flow to the penis creates a more cosmetically pleasing erection.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided the use of a magnet in the manufacture of a therapeutic device for the treatment of impotence.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of reducing or alleviating period pains, the method comprising placing the negative pole of magnet adjacent the user""s flesh in the vicinity of an artery.
It has been noted, in confidential trials of the device, that female users found relief during their periods when wearing the device. This is believed to be a consequence of improved blood circulation.
Preferably the magnet is placed adjacent the femoral artery.